Authors: Arzu Mustafayev, Sayyara Ibadullayeva

 

The book serves as a valuable resource for the development of year-round tourism in our country. Shahdag National Park attracts both local and foreign tourists and therefore the identification and study of its plant species are of great importance. Considering that the flora of Shahdag National Park includes 31 species of spore-bearing plants and 1,572 species of seed plants (12 gymnosperm species and 1,560 angiosperm species, including 294 monocotyledons and 1,266 dicotyledons), of which 277 species are endemic — 252 species (91%) endemic to the Caucasus and 25 species endemic to Azerbaijan, this accounts for 17.28% of the area’s flora. This figure alone demonstrates the remarkable richness of the region’s flora. Shahdag National Park is home to numerous rare and threatened species. According to IUCN criteria, 26 species are classified as Vulnerable (VU), 14 species as Near Threatened (NT), 8 species as Endangered (EN), and 2 species as Critically Endangered (CR). The book is intended for a broad audience.